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The average adaptation period for Russians at a new job is 60 days, according to a survey by the SuperJob service, conducted in early 2023. Only 24% of respondents successfully adapt within a week. For 13%, adaptation takes about three months, while 17% of respondents require significantly longer—up to six months at best. In the worst cases, the adaptation process can drag on without visible results.
In large companies, the employee adaptation process is called onboarding. It involves introducing the new employee to the team, gradually introducing them to work tasks, and supporting them during the first weeks to help them adapt to the new environment. With the growing popularity of peer-to-peer training, onboarding has become more diverse. It involves not only HR managers and immediate supervisors but also other company employees. They act as mentors, buddies, or coaches, which contributes to more effective adaptation of newcomers and the formation of a cohesive work team.
At the "Mentoring: Trends for 2023" conference, organized by iSpring, leading experts discussed effective methods for implementing mentoring systems. Participants learned about current trends in mentoring and received practical recommendations for creating a successful program that fosters employee development and professional advancement.
The Roles of Experienced Employees in Newcomer Onboarding
Organizations that have implemented a mentoring system often use unique terminology to describe roles and processes. This helps create clarity and understanding among employees and facilitates effective interactions between mentors and mentees. A well-structured naming system can increase the appeal of a mentoring program and attract more participants.
At Sber, mentors are experienced employees who train new colleagues working on the front line and interacting with clients. Their main task is to impart knowledge of typical actions and processes. Employees joining the back office do not require such training. They are assigned a "buddy"—a companion-colleague who helps them adapt, introduces them to the office culture, and provides support at the initial stage. The onboarding process for managers is organized by mentors and coaches who help develop management skills and confidence in the new role.
The title of the mentor role can vary, but Its content must be approached with particular care. Experts recommend considering several key factors when selecting employees for this role. First, it's important to assess the candidate's experience and knowledge in the relevant field to ensure they can effectively share their expertise. Second, attention should be paid to communication skills, as the mentor must be able to convey information and maintain dialogue. Furthermore, emotional intelligence plays a significant role, as the mentor must understand the needs and motivations of the mentees. Finally, the mentor's ability to adapt to different learning styles should be considered to ensure an individualized approach to each student. Such careful selection will help create an effective and productive mentoring program.
- Desire to participate in the onboarding system. This is especially important when it comes to employees in retail or customer service, says Asya Arakelyan, Head of Training at Hansa. "It's crucial that the mentor understands why they need it. When it comes to mentoring senior management and mid-level specialists, the situation is clearer. They understand why they need it and see the benefits." "The average sales staff doesn't understand why they should do this," the expert says.
At the conference, experts discussed factors that motivate employees to take an active role in the company. We've documented their ideas and recommendations for future reference.
- Mentors need to be motivated by personal example. The mentoring system should be ingrained into the company's cultural code, says Yana Kizner, leading business coach at KazanExpress Corporate University. Managers and team leaders should demonstrate its importance by personal example and convey its value. Otherwise, resistance will arise within the team: people simply won't understand why they should invest time and effort in mentoring.
- Preliminary training of mentors and their mentees. Even if employees are happy to help newcomers, they first need to be trained in the proper way, says Maria Mirova, Director of Sber's Center for Adaptation, Mentoring, and Coaching. She explains that training is essential for both mentors and their mentees. Both sides should have the same understanding of the essence of mentoring and the “rules of the game.”
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Modern mentors must master key skills that will help them effectively interact with mentees. An important aspect is the ability to ask open-ended questions that encourage deep analysis and self-reflection. Mentors must also be prepared to adapt to changing conditions and technologies, as the modern world demands flexibility and an innovative approach.
Furthermore, mentors should develop active listening skills, which will allow them to better understand the needs and goals of their mentees. Emotional intelligence also plays a crucial role, as it helps build trust and maintain motivation.
Mentors must stay up-to-date with the latest trends in their field and strive for continuous self-development to be helpful and relevant to their mentees. Ultimately, their job is not only to impart knowledge but also to facilitate the personal and professional growth of the people they work with.
Irina Ronzhina, Head of HR at VkusVill, shared her experience in organizing the selection of future mentors. At the company, any employee has the opportunity to try their hand at becoming a senior salesperson or mentor. To do so, they must independently select training on the iSpring platform, which is used by the company. After completing the online course, employees undergo testing, followed by a practical component. This selection approach allows employees to assess their strengths and determine whether they are truly ready to take on new responsibilities.
Once a mentor completes the online training and gains practical experience, we invite them to offline training, which serves as an additional verification step. In some cases, we recommend declining this role, as the employee's desire to become a mentor must match their capabilities. We usually don't have to screen out candidates.
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Staff onboarding: key steps for a successful start
Effective staff onboarding is an important stage that affects the adaptation of new employees and increases their productivity. To ensure this process goes as smoothly as possible, it's worth considering a few important points in advance.
First, prepare the necessary documentation. Make sure all documents required for onboarding a new employee are ready and accessible. This will help avoid delays and create a positive first impression of the company.
Second, develop an onboarding plan. A clear plan will help the new employee understand their responsibilities and expectations. Include information about the company, its culture, and a schedule of meetings with key colleagues and management.
Third, provide access to training resources. Prepare materials that will help the new employee get up to speed quickly. These can include training manuals, video tutorials, or internal instructions. Having such resources facilitates a quicker immersion in the work process and increases the new employee's confidence.
These three steps will help organize high-quality employee onboarding, which, in turn, will positively impact the engagement and productivity of new employees.
How to Integrate Mentoring into Onboarding and Adaptation
Creating an effective onboarding system requires attention to several key aspects. Experts advise adhering to certain recommendations to ensure the successful integration of new employees into the company. First, it's important to develop a structured process that includes clear steps and tasks for new employees. This will help them adapt to the work environment more quickly and understand their responsibilities.
Second, you should focus on creating a positive impression of the company. This can be done by introducing new employees to the corporate culture, values, and mission. This way, new employees will better understand how their role fits into the bigger picture.
Furthermore, it's important to provide access to the necessary resources and tools to help newcomers in their work. Regular communication and support from managers and colleagues also play a key role in successful onboarding.
Finally, don't forget about the need to collect feedback from new employees on the onboarding process. This will allow you to identify weaknesses and improve the program for future employees. By following these recommendations, you can create an effective onboarding system that will help increase the engagement and productivity of new employees.
- Consider the methodology. Conference speakers recommend a thorough approach and defining a mentor competency matrix (that is, a list of their knowledge, skills, and abilities), selection criteria, work results, and regulations.
Defining areas of responsibility is a key aspect of effective teamwork. It is important to clearly delineate the responsibilities of mentors and the new employee's supervisor. Mentors are responsible for training and onboarding new employees, as well as for their professional development and support during the transition to the position. They help new employees understand work processes, introduce them to the corporate culture, and provide the necessary resources to successfully complete tasks. The supervisor, in turn, is responsible for the overall organization of work, goal setting, and performance evaluation. A clear understanding of these roles facilitates more effective integration of newcomers into the team and improves overall company productivity.
- Describe how the project will be implemented and promoted. The success of the entire mentoring system largely depends on promotion, so it is worth paying special attention to this. "It's important to plan which managers will support the newcomer, whether they will demonstrate by example, and where they will talk about how the company values the people who perform this function," says Maria Mirova.
- Formulate criteria for pairing. Speakers note this point as particularly important. However, it applies more to buddies than to on-site mentors and coaches. Regardless of how you look at it, personal chemistry plays a huge role in human relationships, and how the introduction between the newcomer and their buddy goes greatly influences whether this chemistry develops. Carefully planning the meeting, rather than leaving it to chance, will help establish a good rapport. "It's very important for the person, the pair—mentor and mentee—to develop chemistry. And this chemistry, as a rule, arises during the first moment of interaction. "And it's important for us as organizers to model, plan, and help foster this chemistry," emphasizes Maria Mirova.
- Give clear instructions. This point is relevant both for buddies and for those training newcomers on-site: the better employees understand their role and tasks, the better they will cope with them. Asya Arakelyan advises clearly outlining what exactly the mentor should teach the mentee and within what timeframe, so that this protocol or checklist can be referred to at any time. Otherwise, without understanding the range of their tasks, the employee will be forced to improvise as they see fit.
- Organize technical support. Asya Arakelyan is confident that the more convenient the process is for all participants, the better for the company. That's why a user-friendly online platform is essential for onboarding and adaptation, she believes. An adaptation plan can also be added to the platform, identifying not only the mentor but also specific employees to contact at each stage or when receiving a new task.
- Monitor the process and results. Of course, monitoring isn't always necessary: if a mentor or buddy is genuinely committed to helping, and their task is simply to provide moral support to the newcomer, then there's little point in closely monitoring their work. But leaving things to chance isn't ideal. However, if the mentor needs to teach the newcomer important work procedures, monitoring is especially necessary.
Monitoring the process is important for timely adjustments and identifying deficiencies. According to Yana Kizner, after six months, it may be unclear what's happening with mentors: whether they remain relevant and whether they understand what they should be teaching. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a clear system that will ensure that mentors' knowledge and skills are constantly updated.
A lack of oversight during the mentoring process can have serious consequences for the company. A mentor and employee may become close, develop a friendly relationship, and discover many common interests. As a result, they may begin to act inconsistently with the principles of the training department and the essence of the mentoring process. This underscores the importance of clear oversight and the implementation of strategies aimed at maintaining professional boundaries in the mentor-mentee relationship.
Maria Mirova shared information about the onboarding process at Sber. On a new employee's first day, their manager receives a task in the company's internal system to assign a buddy. The buddy is selected from a list of department employees based on certain criteria, such as length of service at the company and performance evaluation. Once selected, the buddy receives a notification about the new mentee's appointment, along with a checklist and a link to a landing page containing information about their role, responsibilities, and other aspects of the mentoring process. Effective onboarding at Sber facilitates the rapid adaptation of new employees and increases their productivity.
At our company, newcomers are given the opportunity to assign multiple buddies. One will introduce them to the team, work processes, and colleagues, while another, for example, a "technological" buddy from the Data Science community, will share their experience and work specifics. This is especially important for employees working remotely, as they may have one buddy on the team and another located in their remote location. This practice is actively used by managers to facilitate the adaptation of new employees.
Why you shouldn't overestimate the power of mentors
Mentors play an important role in training newcomers, but their capabilities are limited. They should not be given full responsibility for onboarding and training, nor should they assume tasks that should be handled by their immediate supervisor. Effective communication between a mentor and manager is key to successfully integrating a new employee into the team, emphasizes Yana Kizner.
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